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Saturday he didn’t care if he drew attention to them or not. So rather than take the more subdued Mercedes convertible he’d used since meeting Addie, he hit the road behind the wheel of his favorite new play toy, a Veyron Bugatti. He’d picked up the black Veyron with blood-red interior that spring, but as of late it had spent more time parked in the garage than on the road in an effort to make Addie more comfortable around him.
“Now this is more like what I expected you to drive,” Addie said from the passenger seat as they sped down the highway. “Are you sure you want me drinking in here?”
Her statement brought to mind the comment she’d made about his car the first time he’d picked her up. “I am. Don’t worry about it.” He took a sip from his own travel mug. “So which do you like better? This or the Mercedes?”
“They’re both okay,” she answered, not sounding impressed with either.
Trent pulled his eyes away from the road long enough to shoot her a look. “Just okay? You don’t say that a Veyron Bugatti is just okay. What kind of a car buff are you anyway?” One evening weeks earlier they’d had an in-depth conversation regarding sports cars through the years. She’d told him she’d learned all about them from her father and brothers, admitting she could not only change her own tire but also make various minor repairs to her own car if the need arose.
“Don’t get me wrong. They’re both great cars, but I’ll take a 1957 Corvette convertible with the Ramjet Fuel Injection system first any day.”
Trent looked over at her again. “Seriously? Cars today could do circles around that.”
Addie lowered her travel mug. “Maybe, but it still managed zero to sixty in 5.7 seconds. Not to mention, it is gorgeous.”
“And if you were to get one of those what color would it be?”
She didn’t hesitate to answer. “Red, of course. It shouldn’t be in any other color.”
Trent laughed at her adamant reply. “They did make it in other colors, you know. Some people even liked them.”
“They shouldn’t have. Who ever thought that was a good idea must have been color blind.”
He laughed again. “Okay, on that note let’s talk about somethi
ng else.” He switched lanes when the car in front of them slowed down. “My family might bombard you with questions. They’re not used to me bringing people to family gatherings like this. Just relax and enjoy yourself.”
“I thought it was just going to be us and your cousin. I didn’t know your whole family would be there.” The lighthearted tone she’d used before disappeared.
“Not my whole family, but Dylan mentioned my cousin Jake and his wife are already there. My brother Derek and my cousin Courtney promised to stop in today, and my cousin Curt is coming tonight. My cousin Sara and her fiancée are flying in tomorrow, but we might not see them depending on when we leave. My father and stepmother visited yesterday and planned to leave this morning so we’ll most likely miss them.”
“Wow, that’s a lot of people. For some reason I didn’t think your family was that close.”
“What made you think that?” The media printed a lot about the individuals in his family, but they never mentioned family squabbles.
From the corner of his eye he caught her shrug. “I don’t know. It always seems like wealthy families are bickering amongst themselves, at least according to the magazines at the grocery store. I just assumed your family was the same way.”
Since the only information she had to go on came from the media, he couldn’t fault her. “My family isn’t perfect, but we’re tight. No matter what, we stick together. Don’t worry, they’ll love you.”
“Maybe you better tell me a little more about your family before I meet them. The Cliff Notes version will do for now.”
“Who would you like me to start with?”
Addie appeared to consider his question. “Maybe with your cousin, Courtney. I read a lot about your cousin Callie during the President’s campaign, and Jake appeared in the media a lot before he married. I don’t know much about Courtney.”
It was true. Over the years he and Jake had kept the media buzzing enough that his cousin had managed to fly somewhat, although not completely, under the radar.
“Courtney is four years younger than me. Her mom is my father’s sister, Marilyn. For the past year she has worked with my aunt at The Helping Hands Foundation, but I don’t think she loves it there.” Trent paused. What else might she like to know? “She has an older brother Scott and a younger sister Juliette. She spent a year and half living in Denmark and speaks Danish fluently. She’s also fluent in Spanish and French.”
“Wow. I know a little Italian, but I’m not even close to fluent.”
“Courtney has always been great with languages. She picks them up quicker than anyone I know.”
“Now what about your brother Derek? I know he is younger than you,” Addie said.
During the rest of the two and half hour ride from Providence to Greenwich, Connecticut, Trent told Addie more about the individuals she’d meet that weekend, concluding with information about his brothers, Gray and Alec, and his sister, Allison, who wouldn’t be there.
Chapter 14
